Creative arts could turn the fortunes of Nigerians who have developed the skill.
Artists who want to make money from their work can explore a variety of creative ways to sell their art.
For the first time ever, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs enacted a gallery in its space to share Nigeria’s story, identity and culture through time.
The assemblage of key Nigerian artists, Michael Anyadike, Aisha Attah Ahmed, John Oyedemi, Olorunyemi Kolapo and Ehinomen Okoeki, at the Atrium Gallery in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, marked the beginning of resurrection of arts that was almost moribund.
This exhibition curated by Nduwhite Ndubuisi Ahaonu, reasoned that, time and the Artist have always played in the same matrimony.
While the former refines him or her, and the latter hopes on the other for posterity, this mandate of time and the beauty of creating have yet inspired Nigerian Artists, to share a glimpse of their world today, under the great and rare opportunity provided by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who deemed it fit to interface with artists, to support and create a platform to use art as a tool for cultural diplomacy, a feat never done before.
The artists reflected on multiple themes, survival to migration, climate change to leadership, leadership as seen in John Ali’s work, where he referenced the past to inspire the future or Micheal Anyadike’s multi-layered cubic panels whose works deals with every day challenges as well as Imal Silva’s works that reflects on the intersection of tradition and modernity which is another pertinent truth from one of the exhibiting artist.
The event brings Nigerians and the international community to experience an unprecedented poll of knowledge that is interconnected, with substantial cultural cross-breeding and exponential explosion of technology.
Art And Culture
Michael Anyadike’s outing was a rare opportunity to demonstrate his skill within the continent of Africa.
He says Nigerian art and culture are in a good place. The culture of artistic awareness is growing in leaps. This is evident in the number of art exhibitions being held in various cities in Nigeria, especially Lagos and Abuja. These exhibitions are important to the art and culture industry for a good number of reasons;
Making Money As An Artist
Creating an online store gives one a central place for selling original artwork to customers online. E-commerce platforms make it easy to create an online store with customizable themes, attractive product pages, and automated sales reports. Creating an online store for selling artwork are simple and they allow artists to present their artwork in a professional light.
Having a store allows you to direct customers to one location where you sell Art online and you don’t have to pay commission fees to galleries or other websites for featuring your work.
Marketing
Creating an effective digital marketing campaign drives traffic to your store although, it requires resources and launching an online store requires enough art inventory to give your customers options.
To generate income an artist should consider selling art through an online marketplace as using an online art marketplaces can give you access to a wider audience willing to pay for digital art and high-quality prints.
There are a wide variety of marketplaces to consider—be sure to take the time to choose marketplaces that seem like a good fit for your specific work.
Online marketplaces have a low barrier to entry, and you can easily upload your digital work. Marketplaces include a built-in audience searching for artwork to purchase. Online marketplaces are a good way to sell digital copies of your original work. But with so many artists selling their art online, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd and find your niche in a marketplace.
Art fairs are conventions where curators and artists rent booths to feature and sell their original art. Art fairs can be large-scale and global or more modest events primarily featuring local artists. Artists who want to sell art at a fair must rent a booth.
Art fairs are a great place to meet other talented artists and curators and it exposes your work to a wide range of potential customers looking to purchase art.
However art fairs require an upfront cost to attend and to make money at an art fair, you need to sell enough art pieces to make a good profit margin.
Artists can also make fortune by applying for international, national, and regional art competitions. Art competitions can offer financial prizes or give emerging artists the chance to show their work in professional gallery settings and meet curators and collectors in the fine art world. Research art contests and apply to any that fit your sensibilities and style.
Once you’ve built a good reputation as an artist, you can try showcasing your work at an art gallery. Research local art galleries, identify ones that seem suited to your style, and write a letter of inquiry. Highlight your previous successes, such as online sales and art shows; this can increase your chances of placement.
Another way to make it in the industry is to teach art to students, either in-person or through online courses.